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Mark knew as soon as his older son Paul walked in that the boy was upset. The high school student kicked his shoes off at the door and practically ran upstairs, not even putting on his slippers like he always did.
“Junmo, honey, your big brother seems sad. Can you play quietly down here for now? Dadda should be home pretty soon and he can play with you then,” Mark lifted his toddler son to sit in his playpen, the toddler nodding as he was soon mesmerized with his blocks. Mark made sure the baby monitor camera was set up facing the playpen before grabbing the receiver and heading up the stairs.
“Paul, can I come in?” Mark asked as he knocked, barely hearing his son’s permission through what was clearly tears before swinging open the bedroom door. His son was practically buried in his bedding, shoulders shaking with tears. Mark just sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hand over Paul’s back.
The teenager shifted to rest his head in his dad’s lap, his tears finally slowing, “Dadda, do you think Ken’s getting bored of me?”
Mark’s heart broke. Yes he and Junior had had their concerns about Ken, the slightly cocky athlete seemed like a playboy and a little aloof but they quickly found him to be a very polite and slightly goofy young man who was clearly completely whipped for their son. He very much doubted that Ken was getting bored but he knew that Paul always felt everything strongly, he was much like his Daddy in that way.
“Paul, why do you think that?” Mark pulled his son up into his arms to hug him closer.
Paul sniffled, “He hasn’t been giving me cuddles or hugs and he keeps changing the subject every time I mention officially meeting his parents and it just hurts a lot Dadda. It’s like he’s not there when he’s right next to me.”
Mark felt anger flare in his chest, he and Junior had officially met Ken over a month ago, him coming over for the official meet the parents dinner where he was clearly very nervous and Junmo had taken his role in hazing very seriously as he ordered Ken around as they played before dinner. He didn’t really know how to comfort his son, considering right now the only thing running through his veins was rage. Thankfully, his more dramatic yet less rage inclined half chose that moment to come into the room, carrying their youngest son.
“A certain little one wanted to come give his older brother some love,” Junior explained, placing the toddler onto Paul’s bed, Junmo immediately crawling over into his older brother’s lap and throwing his arms around Paul, the teenager holding him tight.
Mark and Junior went into the hall, “I think there’s something else going on babe, don’t jump straight to murder,” Junior tried to calm his husband because he saw that look in his eyes. Mark explained the situation, trying to keep his voice steady.
Junior’s brow wrinkled as Mark finished, “I joke about Ken being a playboy like his dads but this is really unlike him. He’s completely whipped for Paul, something has to be going on.”
Mark sighed, “I know and I don’t think Ken is doing this on purpose, but I hate seeing how upset Paul is. He wears his heart on his sleeve, just like you.”
Several streets away, Ken was definitely moping as he cleared off his kitchen table, both Force and Book shooting him worried looks as they made dinner.
Force cleared his throat, “So buddy, we should probably schedule an official dinner to meet your boyfriend, I know you had dinner with Junior and Mark a while ago and-”
“No! I mean, no it can wait, in fact we should wait,” Ken blurted out, practically stumbling over his words. Now that caught his parent’s attention, right after his dinner with Paul’s parents, he had been practically begging to have an official dinner, it being delayed because of their work.
Book put down the bowl of rice that he had been filling, crossing his arms, “Okay what’s going on Ken? Why don’t you want us to officially meet him now after all of your pestering?”
The teenager refused to meet either of his father’s eyes, “Nothing is going on, nothing at all, I just think we should wait.”
Force turned off the heat on the stove, “Kanthee, you’re not fooling either of us so what’s going on? Did you and Paul break up or something?”
That got Ken to look at them, a shocked expression on his face, “No! What?! Of course I haven’t broken up with him, I love him!”
Book was the one getting frustrated now, “Then why don’t you want us to meet him?”
“Becuase I’m afraid Tomafox will bite him!” Ken practically shouted, the house falling into an uncomfortable quiet, only broken by the soft sounds from the cartoons Tomafox was watching in the living room.
“What are you talking about Ken?” Force asked, slightly shocked, “I mean I know Tomafox has been going through a biting phase but why is that stopping you from inviting him over for dinner?”
Ken sighed, dropping into one of the kitchen chairs and rubbing at his eyes, “Look I love Mafox, he’s my little brother, and most of the time he’s really sweet but this biting phase? Phor, his bites really hurt, I mean I’ve literally got bruises from where he bites, I know you and Pa do too. And I can deal with it for the most part but Paul? I don’t want Paul to get hurt, especially because I know he’ll probably cry, same as if he saw the bruises Mafox has given me. Paul is sweet and nice and cries so easily, last week he cried because he was watching a video with a kitten that was, in his words, just so little.”
Book sat across from his son, reaching out to hold his hand, “Why didn’t you tell us that Ken? We understand things like that, your phor and I have been together for a long time and we would understand you wanting to protect your boyfriend, even if it’s from your little brother who is currently doing his best impression of a chomp chomp from Mario. We can wait till this phase passes or we can have lunch or something on a day when Mafox is at school and you and Paul aren’t or we can make a different plan.”
“If you had told us about this, we could have made a plan a while ago,” Force explained, leaning over the kitchen island, “We want to meet Paul, he’s clearly important to you and that makes him important to us too.”
Suddenly Force’s phone rang and upon answering it, he had to hold it out due to the volume at which Junior started speaking, “AI’FORCE! I didn’t stop your son from seeing my sweet baby Paul and now he’s making him cry! He came home sobbing and thinks he is getting broken up with!”
Book and Force looked at their own son, who looked pale and like he might puke, Force managing to interrupt Junior while he took a breath, “Ken isn’t planning on breaking up with Paul, he’s just very bad at communicating and explaining that he is being victimized by his own baby brother. Why don’t we give them a chance to talk and then if it still isn’t resolved, you can yell at me and Book all you want okay?”
Junior made a half-hearted grunt before hanging up, Ken now on his feet and beginning to pace, “No, why would I want to break up with Paul? I love him, he loves me, why would he think I wanted to break up?”
“Go meet up with him and talk to him,” Book wasn’t sure how a simple question about having a boy over for dinner ended with this but he hoped they could resolve it tonight, “Phor will give you some pocket money and you can even take Paul to get food or something.”
“Why is my wallet being offered up?” Force complained, all while pulling out said wallet and handing his teary eyed son a few bills before pulling him into a quick hug, “Keep your head up kid, if your pa can get back in my good graces after me ignoring him for 5 months because of omakase, I think you and Paul can figure it out.”
“Thanks Phor, thanks Pa, I promise I’ll be back by curfew,” Ken wiped at his eyes before heading towards the door, pulling out his phone as he walked.
As Ken rounded the corner on his bike, already spotting Paul’s yellow bike leaning against the park fence. Ken and Paul had met at this park for years, ever since they were little. It was between their homes, a little closer to Paul’s house than Ken’s since Ken was faster on his bike.
Ken leaned his red bike next to Paul’s, quietly moving through the park gate, knowing exactly where his boyfriend would be. As he came around the slide, he saw a figure wrapped in an oversized red hoodie on the swings.
“Paul?” Ken carefully sat on the swing next to his boyfriend who turned and looked at him with red rimmed eyes, “Nong, I am so, so sorry.”
“Phi… do you want to break up with me?” Paul said with the smallest voice Ken had ever heard.
“No, no, no,” Ken held Paul’s face in his hands, “Baby I love you so much, I have never, ever thought about breaking up with you, I want to be with you as long as possible.”
“Then why haven’t you barely cuddled me or hugged me the last couple of weeks? Why you won’t even talk about me officially meeting your parents as your boyfriend?” Tears welled up in Paul’s eyes and Ken could feel a tear trickle down his own cheek.
“It’s because I’m worried for you,” Ken pulled up his sleeve and Paul leaned in.
Paul spoke before Ken could finish his sentence, “How does your little brother bite so hard? Jummo never gave me marks this bad.”
Ken blinked at his boyfriend, “Wait what? You never told me that Jummo bit you.”
Paul shrugged and pulled up his shirt and jacket to show off a purpling bruise on his hip, “Jummo is more of a kicker than a biter but that’s more because he figured out that flailing around means he can’t be picked up.”
“How did I not know any of this? I see you every day and I’ve never seen you seem like you had been crying earlier in the day.”
Paul dropped his shirt and hoodie back into place and looked sheepish, “So here’s the thing, I sort of have a high pain tolerance. I may have been playing up some - or maybe almost all - of the injuries I’ve gotten. Kind of since we were in like elementary school?”
Ken’s jaw dropped, “Wait but you cried at that kitten video?”
“It was a very cute and tiny kitten Ken! It was just so small,” Paul was about to tear up again, “that’s something completely different.”
Ken pulled his boyfriend into a hug with a smile, “Yes kittens are very different than bitey little brothers.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me Ken? You’ve just been pulling away and it hurt, a lot,” Paul pulled back and rubbed at his eyes.
Ken looked ashamed, “I just didn’t want you to worry Nong, I thought I was protecting you.”
“Next time, just tell me that your brother is using you as a chew toy or whatever crazy thing that’s going on with your family, god knows I’ve experienced things just as weird in my own family. I missed my cuddles and my hugs and my kisses,” Paul intertwined his fingers with his boyfriends, using his sweatshirt sleeve to wipe away tears that Ken hadn’t even known that had dripped down.
“I have a lot to make up for then,” Ken leaned over and stole a quick kiss, “now my dads gave me money so let me treat you to dinner to help make up for it.”
Right at curfew, Ken slunk through the front door, surprised to see his parents in the living room watching TV.
Before he turned to go up the stairs, he paused, “Paul is free on Friday, we should have him over for dinner.”
As their son bolted up the stairs, Book was already turning to his husband with a grin on his face, “I believe Tomafox is not the only one marking up our son.”
“Hi Dadda!” Paul stood in the doorway to his parent’s bedroom, Mark looking up from the book he was reading.
“You and Ken had a good time I’m guessing?” Mark was very aware of the marks on his son’s neck and the fact that while Paul was wearing a red jacket, it was decidedly not the jacket he had left the house in.
Paul nodded, coming around the bed to cuddle up with his dadda, “Yeah we did. Ken told me what was going on, apparently Tomafox is biting people and he didn’t want me to worry and start crying. Or get bit and start crying.”
Mark laughed at that, “He didn’t know about the fake crying thing. Your daddy and I figured that out ages ago, now you just do it for extra babying because you are dramatic just like your daddy.”
Junior came out of the bathroom just then, jokingly indignant, “Hey, I’m not dramatic! I’m just… I’m just… passionate! Yes, passionate!”
“Yes teerak, that’s definitely the word,” Mark winked at his son, “You should go to bed Paul honey, it’s been a long evening. Jummo should be asleep but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you wanna go in and wish him good night.”
Paul nodded, kissing his dadda on the cheek and going around the bed to hug and kiss his daddy’s cheek as well, “Good night! I love you!”
As Paul left and Junior climbed into bed, Mark smirked, “I don’t think Paul needs to worry about the bites from Tomafox, he already seems to enjoy being bit by Tomafox’s older brother.”
Junior looked scandalized, “No, not my baby! I knew I should have forbidden him from dating until he was 30!”